Carriage-top



(No Model.)

H. HIGGIN;

CARRIAGE TOP. f No. 300,971. I Patented June 24, 1884.

ihvrrn STATES PATENT FIcE.

HENRY HIGGIN, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY.

CARRIAGE-TOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 300,971, dated June24, 1884.

Application filed April 3, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY HIGGIN, a citizen of the United States, ofNewport, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Back Valanees for Carriage- Tops,of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved back valance used upon the coveringof the top ofthe back bow of carriages or buggies as abinding or finish.

The object of my invention is, first, to cheapen the cost or labor offinishing the valance, and, second, to provide a more durable andornamental valance, all of which will be.

. pleted ready to be applied to carriage-tops.

A represents a section of a'buggy-top; a a, the back-stay; A, thecurtain.

B represents the ordinary back valance. 0 represents my improvedvalance. It is formed from the metal blank D in the following manner:Dies of the right shape strike up the blank into the form shown in Fig.5.

0 represents the ornamental finish at the end of the metal valance. Itmay be secured by a tack, if desired.

d shows an arch or crown, in which the leather seam lies when placedupon a carriage.

E represents flanges.

i represents a series of grooves and indentations formed in the neck ofthe metal upon the sides thereof in imitation of stitches, and, besidesbeing ornamental and furnishing an imitation of aleather valance, theburrs formed by forming the grooves or indentations in being made formprojections or teats 0, upon the inner sides of the neck of the metal atthe point where the valance grasps the seam, and serves as a fasteningdevice to secure the valance to the leather seam.

In order to stiffen the valance and prevent it from being easily bent,after it has been struck up in the form shown in Fig. 5, the flanges eare corrugated, as shown in Fig. 6, thereby enabling very thin metal tobe employed, having sufficient stiffness to serve the purpose intended.I prefer to leave a smooth edge, It, as'shown in Fig. 6, below thecorrugations, to form a finish. This edge it may be bent slightlydownward, so as to hug the leather close, forming a water-tight joint,and is the preferred form of construction.

The valance is applied in the following manner: H represents the top ofthe back-stay.

h represents the back or side quarter of the covering forming thecarriage-top. F represents the top of the cover. G represents acarriage-bow. The cover I h and back-stay H are placed together andsewed and tacked to thebow in the usual manner. The valance O is thenplaced over the seam formed by theunion of these strips, and a toolcorresponding in shape to the arch and teats andgrooves is placed overthe archof the valance and compressed,so as to bring the parts 0 ifirmly down to grasp the SEMILES shown in Fig. 2, and also to press theflanges e firmly down upon the leather surfaces I h. The burrs orprojections c are forced into the leather and securely hold the valancein position.

I do not wish to limit my invention to the use for the back valance of acarriage, as it may also be used to form the top rail of thecarriage-dash, or as a molding to cover other leather seam-joints.

The molding can be finished by plating (r japanning, as desired.

The valance may be formed of one or more sections of the general shape,as shown in Fig. 6.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1s 1. A metallic valance ormolding formed from a metal blank, and having the arch d, teats andgrooves c i, and corrugated flanges e, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

2. In combination with a buggy-top, the

valance G, secured upon the scam of the covering-strips I h,substantially as specified. 3. A valance or molding-strip having thearched groove d, corrugated flanges e, and a series of imitationstitches, 13, formed of a piece of metal, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY HIGGIN. Witnesses:

A. GLUCHOWSKY, E. E. W001).

ICC

